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Oct 26, 2011

My “BLACK-letter-day”

...and I kept circulating myself on the dining
table as if I was some cookery item who had to please everyone.

~Abdul
Wajid Parray.

I
wonder if there is any word for “the worst day in life” as there is one for the
most memorable day, the red-letter-day. But I consider October 16 as my saddest
day; so I call it my “black-letter-day.”

14:30 hours October 16-2011 was the time that was supposed to be a memorable day as I
was going to give a treat to my college peers. It was actually a combo treat
that my friends were waiting desperately for over last three years that I had spent
with them during my study course in Kurukshetra. I had been evading their
demands from the time I stepped in Kurukshetra but this time they had a solid
reason, in fact a written one and I had none to use as an excuse. Reason was
that I had cracked the placement exam of an InfoTech company (LnT) in my very
first attempt. So on receiving the written acknowledgement from the company I
decided to cheer my comrades with a party.

It
was not an organized program rather off the cuff; so some slip-ups were
expected but not like the ones that really happened thereby marking the whole
event as my bad. It was Sunday and I rested myself well to pen-down the names
of the expected guests. I started with a few names but the list went on and on
but somehow I shortlisted some 28 names and acquainted them all. Time went on so
did my fervour. Finally I dressed up like a gentleman in my newly bought formal
trousers and my same old black shirt that had earlier won me colossal
compliments...Ha-ha.

Before
leaving I was ill-informed by some of my long-headed peers that the expenditure
of the feast will be not more than 2K bucks. But to be on the safer side I
carried 3K and that too heavy heartedly, Frankly speaking. With that I left my
place and reached the venue around 2:30pm. Three of my junior mates were
already there to receive me with their curiously held sights and smiles.
Following this, some expected friends unexpectedly refused to come presenting
their well cooked excuses while others kept coming in turns one after the other
and finally a frantic squad of around 24 people joined the feast.

All
was going well except one thing; the event was ill-prepared. I had invited two
different friend circles to a common platform - one squad of a few notorious
boys and other one of some upright ladies. The worst part was that they knew
not each other so well that they could enjoy the time together. They had
different policies, different manners, and different personalities and hence a
LOC demarked the two groups and their opinions as well. Dangling between the
two was an ill-fated being and that was me. In order to blend with the big
crowd I kept circulating myself on the dining table as if I was some cookery item who
had to please everyone.

Everything
was still working fine and up to the extent of my levels of digesting people’s
conduct. But the event soon turned dim and my level of interest as low as null.
Now I played my last card in order to bring some life to the lifeless inert
party by entertaining my peers singing songs in my not so impressive vocals but
the atmosphere turned no bright. Losing all my hopes I called off the party and
all the partakers started moving out-some eagerly and others with a heavy heart
filled up to the grim with loads of disappointment. Needless to mention I
joined the latter squad.

As
this entire was not enough, the last ugly blow was yet to come. And this time
it was the bill- a total of all the expenditures I spent in buying foodstuff
and the foolishness of some freaks. The earthshaking bill shivered me like
anything. It was 4100 INR; double than what my expectations had planned and I
wailed “Na Khaya...Na Piya...Aur glass toda bara anaa.” Toting up the
loose contents of my wallet and borrowing the rest from one of my good friend I
somehow managed to add up the requisite amount. My heavy eyes could hardly see
my daring bucks passing before me lavishly and so I left the place and moved
out to see my friends off, thanking them for flavouring the party both with glee
and gloom.

Heading
up to my nestling place-my room, I wondered how lavishly I spent my fortune just
to pleas my mates least knowing that I was only casting pearls before the
swine; of course with some good exceptions. But now on I have no regrets. No
complains!! For the reason that in the end I learnt a good lesson: “Unlike poles do not attract all the time; there
are some well-defined exceptions.”

And
yes before I finish my heart-rending write-up please make a good note of what
follows now on. The other imperative thing that I learnt and that needs a
mention here is that whenever you decide to present a treat to your friends,
make sure you do it as a whip round along
with your other rejoice-sharing peers, otherwise
learn to live on the borrowed time and money.